Flyers Could Explore Trade Options For Samuel Ersson
At one point this season, it looked as though the Philadelphia Flyers might be buyers, not sellers, in the lead-up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline. First-year head coach Rick Tocchet had the club primed to make a run to the playoffs, a clear step forward in the team’s retooling process.
Those Flyers look like a distant memory at this point, though, as the team has lost three consecutive games and endured a 2-7-1 stretch in its last 10 contests. They currently sit 10 points behind the Boston Bruins for the Eastern Conference’s final wild card spot, and eight points behind the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Flyers’ downturn has shifted the focus on the team heading into the trade deadline. Instead of identifying potential targets around the league the team might add, the Flyers now look more like a team that will subtract from its roster, rather than add. Last week, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reported the Flyers were likely to have a “quiet deadline” unless a potential core player, perhaps at their key position of need, center, becomes available.
One name the Flyers could end up moving on from is netminder Samuel Ersson. Kurz wrote regarding Ersson that it “feels like it’s time for a change of scenery” for the player and club. There don’t appear to be a large number of goalies available for trade at this time, and the key name on the market, Jesper Wallstedt of the Minnesota Wild, figures to have a significant price tag attached.
For most teams, acquiring Ersson is a far more realistic possibility than shelling out high-end assets to land Wallstedt. Of course, Ersson isn’t of the same caliber of talent as Wallstedt, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have what it takes to help an NHL team.
The 26-year-old has been relied upon heavily by the Flyers over the course of the last few years.
The Swedish netminder played in 51 games in 2023-24, earning the vast majority of starts after the team’s No. 1 netminder, Carter Hart, became unavailable in the middle of the year.
He struggled at times, and his final save percentage of .890 certainly isn’t strong, but there were moments in the season where he showed the kind of talent that gave the Flyers faith brighter days could be ahead.
The following season, Philadelphia again trusted Ersson to be their leading man in the crease, as he played in 47 NHL games, the most of any netminder in the organization. Once again, Ersson showed flashes, but those quality starts began to become more infrequent. His final statistics regressed even further, as he finished with an .883 save percentage, and was one of the league’s weakest goalies in several metrics.
The Flyers signed Dan Vladar to stabilize their goaltending this past summer, and Vladar has validated their investment with a strong 2025-26 campaign. But while Vladar has stood out this year, Ersson’s struggles have persisted. Through 24 games this year, he has just an .856 save percentage, the lowest among netminders with at least 15 games played in 2025-26.
It’s fair to question, given his poor numbers and highly inconsistent performance over the last few years, whether other NHL teams would truly be interested in adding Ersson. But the netminder is a pending arbitration-eligible RFA with a cap hit of just $1.45MM.
He’s likely to be one of the more experienced netminders readily available for trade at this point in the season, and can likely be acquired for a relatively low cost.
If a team is confident in its goaltending department, and believes it can maximize Ersson’s talent in a way the Flyers have thus far been unable to, he could end up on the move.
Ersson could also be a fit for a team looking to simply enhance its depth at the position, especially if an injury strikes. If a team in the playoff race loses a netminder to injury at some point between now and the trade deadline, Ersson’s name will be one to watch.
Photos courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Transaction Notes: Chrona, Makiniemi, Senyshyn
Nashville Predators AHL goalie Magnus Chrona will head overseas to the SHL next season, according to a report from Aftonbladet’s Simon Eld. Per the report, Chrona has signed a contract with Swedish club Brynäs, and will join the team starting in the 2026-27. The 25-year-old is currently playing out a one-year, two-way contract with Nashville, and is set to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent unless he plays in 19 NHL games this season. Getting into that many NHL games at this point appears to be almost impossible for Chrona, as veteran Matt Murray appears to be clearly ahead of him in terms of who would receive a recall to Nashville in the event of an injury to Juuse Saros or Justus Annunen.
An NCAA national champion and former NCHC Goalie of the Year, Chrona has had an up-and-down pro career to this point. He was forced into some difficult on-ice situations in his rookie season as a member of the Sharks, and was dealt to Nashville in the summer of 2024 as part of the trade that sent Yaroslav Askarov to San Jose. He’s been the No. 2 goalie for the AHL Milwaukee Admirals since the deal, playing behind Murray. He posted a .903 save percentage in 30 games last season, and has duplicated that mark in 13 AHL games this season. Looking ahead to next season, one wonders if either goalie playing for the Predators’ ECHL affiliate, the Atlanta Gladiators, might get a shot to earn a regular role in Milwaukee. 2019 fifth-rounder Ethan Haider has a .926 save percentage in 16 ECHL games this season, and won his lone AHL start of the year. 23-year-old T.J. Semptimphelter, a former Hobey Baker nominee, has a .942 save percentage through the first 18 games of his ECHL career. Both players are playing out one-year contracts this season.
Other notable recent transactions from around the hockey world:
- Another former Sharks netminder signed a contract this week, with Finland’s Eetu Makiniemi signing a one-year contract extension with his current club, Liiga’s TPS Turku. Makiniemi played in two NHL games for the Sharks in 2022-23 before playing through the 2024-25 season at the AHL level. He elected to leave the AHL after playing just five games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms last season, and has been solid for TPS. Playing in a tandem with 20-year-old Noa Vali, Makiniemi has a .903 save percentage in 22 games. He’s been the more reliable netminder in the tandem for TPS this season, as Vali has an .887 save percentage through 20 games this year.
- 2015 Boston Bruins first-round pick Zachary Senyshyn has agreed to a contract termination with his DEL club, the Schwenninger Wild Wings. Senyshyn was in the middle of a third consecutive DEL campaign with the club, where he has been a reliable top-six goal scorer. Senyshyn, who has over 300 games of AHL experience, left North America at the end of 2022-23 to sign in the DEL, and he has helped the Wild Wings reach at least the playoff qualifiers in both of his prior seasons in Germany. He’ll now look to continue his career elsewhere, and there is no word at this point as to where he might end up signing. He had 10 goals and 15 points in 31 DEL games this season.
Boston Bruins Recall Matthew Poitras
The Boston Bruins have recalled forward Matthew Poitras from their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins.
Boston’s No. 1 center Elias Lindholm suffered an upper-body injury earlier this week. While we are still waiting on further word regarding Lindholm’s status from the Bruins, this recall indicates that, at the very least, the Bruins felt the need to reinforce their center depth given the possibility that Lindholm’s injury sidelines him.
The Bruins play tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers, and recalling Poitras protects the team against the potential that Lindholm won’t be available to be dressed due to his injury.
This recall puts Poitras in a position to make his 2025-26 debut for the Bruins. The 21-year-old last played in the NHL almost a full calendar year ago, in early March of 2025. The 2022 second-round pick once looked like one of Boston’s more promising young talents, flying out of the gates in his first year playing pro hockey, 2023-24. He scored 15 points in 33 games that season, but took a step back in 2024-25, clearly struggling to create offense on a consistent basis while contending with the relentless pace and physicality of the NHL.
Poitras has fared better at the AHL level. He scored 41 points in 40 games for Providence last season, but a slow start has him at only 24 points in 39 games this season. Poitras’ inability to stay in the NHL after a fast start has led to some scouts in the public sphere questioning his long-term projection. Entering the season, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman wrote Poitras “may not be dynamic enough to be a full-time top-nine forward,” despite a high compete level.
While it’s unknown exactly what kind of opportunity Poitras will receive thanks to this recall, at the very least he’ll likely get the chance to make his season debut. Regardless of what form his NHL opportunity ultimately takes, this season is a major one for Poitras to carve out a spot in Boston’s long-term plans, especially seeing as he is a pending RFA.
Kraken Open To Trading Shane Wright
1/29/2026: A little over a week after the initial reports emerged that the Kraken were considering trading Wright to acquire a dynamic top-six scoring winger, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta issued an update on Wright’s situation.
According to Pagnotta, not only are the Kraken seriously considering dealing Wright, but now “word has spread” that Wright himself may also be seeking a change of scenery, and that the relationship between the player and club in this case “may be on the ropes.”
As one would expect, Wright was unwilling to go into great detail when asked by the media about his name surfacing in trade rumors. He told the media, including local outlet Sound of Hockey, that he’s “not too worried” about the reporting and speculation surrounding his future.
As we covered last week, Wright has been unable to gain the trust of first-year head coach Lane Lambert, who has thus far been unwilling to grant Wright the greater lineup role most expected him to earn this season. It could be that the slowed pace of Wright’s development has frayed the player’s relationship with his team, potentially helping pave the way for a deal that allows him to continue his career elsewhere.
1/22/2026: The Seattle Kraken are reportedly open to trading 2022 No. 4 overall pick Shane Wright as they pursue adding an impactful top-six scorer, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Pagnotta wrote yesterday that the Kraken have “been searching for a top-six forward,” and believe including Wright in a deal could be the key to landing a caliber of player that makes a real impact on their team.
That Seattle is even considering trading Wright would have been a stunning development before the start of the 2025-26 season.
Entering the season, Wright looked well on the way to becoming a long-term core piece in Seattle.
His development path in years prior endured a few stops and starts, but 2024-25 was Wright’s first campaign as a full-time NHLer, and he blossomed.
He scored 19 goals and 44 points, the second-most points by a Kraken center and production that was just seven points behind 2022 No. 1 pick Juraj Slafkovsky.
Wright’s encouraging NHL campaign ensured he was viewed as a key cog in the Kraken’s future plans. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman ranked him as a top-25 U23 player in the entire NHL, writing that Wright “has no noticeable flaw in his toolkit” and “could be a second-line center on a top team or a fringe 1C on a lesser team.”
In a league where quality centers are always in high demand, he looked to be an asset for the Kraken that got as close to “untouchable” status as anyone on their roster. The belief was that Wright and 2023 Calder Trophy winner Matty Beniers would form a formidable backbone of two-way centers through whom the Kraken could anchor their forward lineup.
Wright’s 2025-26 season has, unfortunately, appeared to change the team’s calculus looking into the future. While Wright saw real developmental gains under former head coach Dan Bylsma, that momentum appears to have largely stalled under new coach Lane Lambert, even as Lambert keeps the Kraken in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.
The hope for Wright was that after finishing the year as one of Seattle’s top scorers despite earning just 14:04 time on ice per game, he might be able to earn a greater role in his sophomore campaign, and something that could consequently power an even greater developmental leap.
That has not happened so far. In fact, it’s been the opposite. Wright has struggled to gain a foothold in Lambert’s lineup, averaging just 13:43 time on ice per game, with a second-unit role on the power play and no role on the penalty kill.
For a variety of reasons, including his role, Wright’s production has declined steeply. He’s scored 17 points in 49 games, which is just a 28-point 82-game scoring pace. His shooting percentage appears to be a major culprit, as he converted shots into goals at a nearly 21% rate last season, but is hovering at 9.3% this year.
Wright’s shooting ability was generally assessed by scouts to be his most high-end offensive tool, so the fact that he is struggling to find the back of the net this season only compounds concerns about the current state of his development.
With Wright’s current situation in mind, it can’t be a huge surprise to see his name surfacing in trade rumors. It may have come as a great surprise entering the season, but Wright’s development appears to have stalled to the point where a trade is only a natural thing to consider.
Whether that would be the best idea for the Kraken is, of course, a matter of debate.
On one hand, Wright remains an undeniably talented center on a team still short of high-end pivots. While his struggles this season may have shifted his projection in the eyes of some evaluators, the reality is he is still just 22 years old. There’s still reason to believe he can end up becoming the high-end second-line center scouts have long believed he’d develop into.
Impactful two-way top-six centers don’t grow on trees, and any deal involving one, even a potential future player for that role, becomes a difficult deal to win.
Trading Wright this season would also be, undeniably, “selling low” on a player who was a premium draft pick and high-end prospect. This season has been the low point of Wright’s career since being drafted, so it would be an inopportune time for Seattle to trade him, from a pure value standpoint.
On the other hand, the Kraken could badly use a dynamic offensive creator, and even the high end of Wright’s projection doesn’t include a realistic possibility of him becoming one. Centers are in demand across the NHL to a severe degree, and even with his struggles in 2025-26, Wright still figures to command a significant amount of value if dealt. There’s no doubt that if he were dangled in a trade, the Kraken would have the buying power to be able to land the kind of winger that fits their clear need for a dynamic offensive creator.
When considering what kind of player the Kraken could target if they indeed shop Wright, they could either leverage his age, pedigree, and positional value to land a more established scorer than Wright is at this moment (perhaps even adding other assets to swing a deal for as high-end of a target as possible), or they could target a winger in a similar developmental situation to Wright who happens to better fit the kind of talent profile they’re targeting.
If they elect to pursue the latter tactic, a name such as Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson checks a lot of boxes. He was the No. 5 pick of the draft before Wright’s, and like Wright, appeared to be nearing “untouchable” status in his market after 2024-25.
He scored 57 points in 68 games, looking every bit like the hyper-skilled, dynamic offensive creator he was drafted to be. Also like Wright, Johnson’s 2025-26 season has been virtually unrecognizable compared to the year prior.
A player such as Johnson, even with his struggles this season, would require a significant trade asset in order to pry loose — which is where Wright could come into the picture. The idea of a Wright/Johnson deal is entirely speculative, of course, as there have been no firm reports of who Seattle might be targeting specifically.
But when examining the league-wide landscape for players who could be a fit in a Wright deal, his name emerges as an intriguing possibility, as both players look like they could benefit from a change-of-scenery transaction.
Regardless of what player Seattle might target — or if they end up even trading Wright at all — Pagnotta’s report underscores how important Wright is to the Kraken’s future.
He’s either going to get his development back on track and become a valuable two-way pivot in Seattle, or the team will leverage his trade value to acquire an impactful roster addition. Either way, his progress is one of the key storylines to watch in Seattle moving forward.
Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
San Jose Sharks Interested In Artemi Panarin
The New York Rangers made waves yesterday when they held star forward Artemi Panarin out of their lineup for roster management reasons, indicating that the team plans on trading the player at some point in the near future. One team that has emerged as a contender for Panarin’s services is the San Jose Sharks. According to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now, the Sharks “have inquired” about trading for Panarin, and Panarin “would be willing to sign an extension with San Jose.”
It was reported in no uncertain terms yesterday that Panarin, who owns a full no-move clause and therefore has complete control over the trade process, is only interested in being dealt to a team where he will not be a rental player; he’s only interested in trades to teams where he sees himself playing beyond 2025-26. Based on Peng’s report, it appears the Sharks are one of those teams.
That San Jose is in a position to potentially swing a deal for Panarin is a real surprise, at least based on the position their franchise appeared to be in at the start of the season. The rebuilding Sharks were the NHL’s worst team last season, and few expected them to make such a sizable leap in 2025-26. The generally held belief was that while San Jose was likely to improve, they’d still need to develop and add more talent before seriously competing for a playoff spot.
The brilliance of star pivot Macklin Celebrini has changed things. He’s played like a legitimate Hart Trophy contender, scoring 78 points in 51 games and powering the Sharks to a surprising 27-21-3 record, good for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot.
The Sharks are a team on the rise, and it’s understandable that they’d be interested in adding Panarin to their already extremely talented forward group. While Panarin, at 34, doesn’t fit the Sharks’ long-term vision, his addition could provide a serious boost to both the team’s near-term competitive hopes, as well as the development of some of their younger scoring forwards. 
Panarin, who has 57 points in 52 games, has for the bulk of his time with the Rangers been one of the NHL’s premier wingers. There have been few more lethal scoring threats than Panarin at his position, and one has to believe getting the chance to play with, and learn from Panarin could pay dividends for young scorers such as Will Smith, William Eklund, and even Michael Misa down the line.
While the Sharks are only one of likely several teams to be interested in Panarin, there are a few factors both working against them, and in their favor.
San Jose’s status as a West Coast team may hurt them. The Athletic’s Vincent Z. Mercogliano reported that Panarin has a preference to sign with an Eastern Conference team. Mercogliano indicated the comparable ease of travel back to Russia could be a factor that helps explain the player’s Eastern Conference preference. It is worth noting that while he might prefer to stay east, Panarin is not entirely ruling out Western Conference landing spots, like San Jose.
Working in the Sharks’ favor is the fact that their GM is no stranger to making deals with the Rangers. Sharks GM Mike Grier used to work alongside Rangers GM Chris Drury in New York’s hockey operations department, and this wouldn’t be the first trade the pair complete together.
Additionally, the Sharks are owners of one of the league’s top prospect pools, meaning they can offer the Rangers a greater degree of choice to construct their ideal return package, whereas other clubs looking to acquire Panarin may only have a small handful of premier young players to dangle.
While there’s no guarantee, of course, that Panarin does end up a Shark, Peng’s report clearly indicates they are a team to watch as this process unfolds.
Photos courtesy of Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Minnesota Wild Open To Trading Jesper Wallstedt
The Minnesota Wild “would be open to dealing” top young netminder Jesper Wallstedt “if the right deal comes along,” The Athletic’s Michael Russo reported today. On Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts podcast today, Elliotte Friedman echoed Russo’s report, adding that Wild GM Bill Guerin may have already attempted to deal Wallstedt as part of his longstanding efforts to acquire a top-six center.
As part of Russo’s report, he indicated that “the right deal” to include Wallstedt, from the Wild’s perspective, would be one that brings a pivot capable of filling the No. 1 center role to Minnesota. The Wild are, according to Russo, “aggressively looking” to add a top-six center to their lineup. 
That isn’t exactly fresh news, nor is it something that would come as any real surprise to anyone who takes a look at the Wild’s current depth chart at the position. But what is new are these concrete reports that the Wild are willing to include Wallstedt in a deal that fills their longstanding need.
On one hand, the Wild’s reported willingness to deal Wallstedt is somewhat surprising. That’s largely because of how excellent he’s been this season, which has supercharged his stock league wide. Wallstedt has a .914 save percentage through 21 games this season, and while he’s slowed down a little bit, he earned some votes in NHL.com’s midseason poll of Vezina Trophy candidates.
This breakout season has been a long time coming for Wallstedt, who has long been considered one of the game’s best prospects at the position. The 2021 first-round pick had a tough 2024-25 campaign, but impressed in his first two seasons in the AHL, posting .908 and .910 save percentages in 2022-23 and 2023-24, respectively. Under contract through next year at a $2.2MM cap hit, Wallstedt looks to be an emerging starting goalie, and one that could provide a significant amount of surplus value if given the right workload.
But what makes Wallstedt’s name surfacing in trade rumors less of a surprise is the wider situation Minnesota finds itself in at the goalie position. While Wallstedt could indeed provide a considerable amount of surplus value due to his $2.2MM cap hit, Minnesota isn’t positioned to truly take advantage of that. Wallstedt currently operates in a tandem with 27-year-old Filip Gustavsson, who has been one of the league’s better goalies since arriving in the Twin Cities. He has a .908 save percentage in 33 games this season, and is likely to be Minnesota’s go-to option in the playoffs, even if Wallstedt isn’t dealt.
Not only is Gustavsson Minnesota’s No. 1 netminder at this moment, his contract positions him to occupy that role for the foreseeable future, without much room for that to change. The $6.8MM AAV contract extension Gustavsson signed in October 2025 carries a full no-move clause for the first two years of its duration, before morphing into a 15-team no-trade clause. That NMC means the Wild are essentially locked into keeping Gustavsson as their starter for the next few years, a reality that makes trading Wallstedt all the more logical.
Wallstedt has long been projected to eventually become an impactful NHL goalie; As a result, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Gustavsson’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, negotiated the NMC into the first two years of Gustavsson’s deal with an eye towards warding against the possibility that his client could be dealt in order to pave the way for Wallstedt to take the reins as an undisputed No. 1 goalie in Minnesota.
Considering all of those factors, it becomes clear why the Wild are considering dealing Wallstedt, even though they likely know they’d be trading away a player who could be one of the league’s top goalies through the 2030s. The logic behind trading Wallstedt becomes even clearer when one considers how singularly focused the Wild are on maximizing their window to win as long as Quinn Hughes remains a Wild player.
Hughes’ contract is set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season, and he has not given Minnesota any assurances that he’ll extend his deal and remain there. Consequently, it is in Minnesota’s best interests to not only maximize their chances of winning for the two playoff runs they have Hughes under team control for, but also to try to win as much as possible with Hughes in order to help convince him to sign an extension to remain in Minnesota.
Hughes had to play through some lean years as a member of the Vancouver Canucks, something he acknowledged weighed on him considerably. It’s likely, therefore, that whether or not a team is positioned to legitimately compete for a Stanley Cup will hold a great degree of influence over their odds of signing Hughes. And with Kirill Kaprizov now 28 years old, it’s clear the Wild’s competitive aspirations lie in players more around Gustavsson’s age (late twenties) than Wallstedt’s (early-to-mid twenties.)
As for who the Wild might target in any Wallstedt deal, that becomes more difficult to ascertain. The team is reportedly very interested in New York Rangers pivot Vincent Trocheck. But it’d be surprising to see New York trade Trocheck for a goalie seeing as the team already has star Igor Shesterkin locked into their starting role for the rest of the decade and beyond.
A hypothetical three-team trade could land Trocheck in Minnesota and send Wallstedt to a goalie-needy team, with that third team sending skater prospects to New York. But including a third team is a major hurdle to clear, and one that makes it so Minnesota is likely to need to leverage other assets if they want to acquire Trocheck.
Considering teams that might covet Wallstedt, or at least have a more pressing need in net, a few other potential candidates emerge. On the most recent trade board made by The Athletic’s Chris Johnston, there were five centers listed that most would reasonably consider to be of the top-six caliber Guerin is seeking: Nazem Kadri, Elias Pettersson, Robert Thomas, Ryan O’Reilly, and Trocheck.
Unfortunately for the Wild, nobody in that group appears to be a real candidate to be traded in a deal involving Wallstedt. The Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators (employers of Kadri and O’Reilly, respectively) each have goalies (Dustin Wolf for Calgary, Juuse Saros for Nashville) whose presence would likely limit their interest in Wallstedt. The goalie situation of the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues are more up in the air, but Minnesota may not want to take on Pettersson’s hefty $11.6MM cap hit, and the Blues are unlikely to have much interest in dealing their No. 1 center to a divisional rival.
Among teams who would stand to benefit most from adding Wallstedt, the New Jersey Devils are a clear candidate. While backup Jake Allen has performed admirably, starter Jacob Markstrom has endured a brutal campaign. Adding Wallstedt might stabilize the Devils at a position that has caused them so much trouble in recent years, but it’s not a clean fit. Markstrom signed a two-year, $6.5MM extension in October, and has a full NMC through the end of the season. Allen has a full NTC through 2026-27, and is under contract (at an affordable $1.8MM AAV) through 2029-30. Fitting Wallstedt into that picture might not be realistic.
The Ottawa Senators have a clear need in net, but trading away a key center such as Shane Pinto or Dylan Cozens may be a less optimal route for the team to improve than simply attempting to get incumbent starter Linus Ullmark‘s game back on track.
The Montreal Canadiens have a clear immediate need in net due to the struggles of Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes, but the looming presence of top prospect Jacob Fowler could scuttle the possibility of a deal. While Montreal would certainly benefit from adding Wallstedt, trading away the kind of center Minnesota would demand in return (such as promising rookie Oliver Kapanen) might not be in the team’s best interests with Fowler so close to being NHL-ready.
This is all to say that as things currently stand, Wallstedt is one of the most interesting trade candidates heading into this year’s deadline. They have many different factors to contend with when deciding not only whether or not to trade him, but also what kind of deal to construct if he’s indeed traded. The numerous different considerations the club will need to navigate are fascinating, and make Wallstedt a clear player to watch moving forward.
Photos courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Snapshots: Sabres Injuries, Ravensbergen, Olympic Freeze
The Buffalo Sabres are arguably the NHL’s hottest team at this moment, having won 18 of their last 22 games. They’ve kept up their winning ways more recently despite the loss of center Josh Norris, who suffered a rib injury on Jan. 14. While the latest injury to the Sabres’ oft-injured pivot was a cause of concern, it appears he is progressing in the right direction and is nearing a return to game fitness. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff told the media, including Buffalo Hockey Beat’s Bill Hoppe, that Norris’ status has been upgraded to day-to-day. Blueliner Jacob Bryson, who was placed on IR on Jan. 23, is also day-to-day.
While star Tage Thompson is undoubtedly Buffalo’s best and most effective forward, Norris has pushed him for that mantle at times this season. The 26-year-old has scored 17 points in 19 games this season, including a stretch in early December where he managed seven points in just four games before suffering another injury. Norris was acquired by the Sabres last season at the deadline in a trade that sent pivot Dylan Cozens (and a second-round pick) to the Ottawa Senators. It was a calculated risk for Buffalo, who elected to take on Norris’ $7.95MM AAV contract that runs through the end of the decade. Former GM Kevyn Adams’ calculated risk has paid off when Norris has been healthy, but he’s only played in 22 total games as a Sabre. Now that he’s inching closer to full health, whether he can stay on the ice will be the clear top storyline to watch regarding Norris as his Sabres tenure progresses.
Other notes from across the hockey world:
- San Jose Sharks 2025 first-round pick Joshua Ravensbergen will leave the CHL to play NCAA hockey for Michigan State University next season, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported today. Ravensbergen, 19, is one of the top goalie prospects in the sport, and will leave the WHL’s Prince George Cougars to play college hockey, rather than turn pro. Ravensbergen, who turns 20 in November, would have been eligible to play in the AHL (or ECHL) next season after at some point signing his ELC. Now, he’ll forgo that path in order to follow Detroit Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine as a top young goalie developing with the Spartans. The move also signals that Augustine is likely to turn pro after three seasons at Michigan State. Augustine was his conference’s top goalie last year and has a .938 save percentage in 17 contests in 2025-26.
- Puckpedia outlined some of the NHL’s roster restrictions for the upcoming Olympic break in a post today, highlighting a few ways in which NHL teams will be restricted from moving players while NHL games pause for the tournament in Italy. During the roster freeze, which begins the afternoon of Feb. 4 and ends on Feb. 23, no trades are permitted. In addition, players who are waivers-exempt can only be sent down if they have not played in 16 of the team’s 20 NHL games prior to the freeze, or have been on the NHL roster for 80 league days prior to Jan 21. Puckpedia also clarified that players can be placed on waivers during the freeze, but if a team is waived after a team’s final game before the freeze begins, that player will not need to report until Feb. 17. These rules are likely to impact some of the transactions that get made in the coming days ahead of the freeze, as teams position themselves, and their prospects, for the break in the schedule.
St. Louis Blues Reassign Otto Stenberg
The St. Louis Blues have reassigned forward Otto Stenberg to their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, according to a team announcement.
Stenberg’s reassignment clears an open spot on St. Louis’ 23-man roster, one that could soon be claimed by winger Dylan Holloway. The 24-year-old is currently on IR with an ankle injury, but skated this morning. That could be a sign that his return is imminent. Holloway, who is an arbitration-eligible pending RFA, scored 63 points in 77 games last season and has 17 points in 34 contests this season.
Holloway’s impending return spells the end of Stenberg’s lengthy first recall to the NHL level. Originally recalled on Dec. 15, Stenberg ended up skating in a total of 18 contests for the Blues. He averaged 14:00 time on ice per game, earning an increased level of trust as his recall progressed. Last week was a significant one for Stenberg, as he earned considerable time on both special teams units in the final few games of his recall.
Being sent down at this point paves the way for Stenberg to be eligible to play in the AHL during the Olympic break. That’s likely the best move for his development, as he still has room to produce more consistently at that level. He began the season with just eight points in 21 games in Springfield, and figures to be a key player for the Blues’ affiliate for as long as he remains in the AHL.
Stenberg is widely considered to be one of St. Louis’ better prospects, earning a preseason rank of No. 5 in the team’s prospect pool by The Athletic’s Corey Pronman and No. 8 by Elite Prospects. Both project Stenberg as a future middle-six NHLer. Finding a way to score more consistently at the AHL would go a long way towards helping Stenberg maintain that projection moving forward.
Chicago Blackhawks Reassign Nick Lardis
The Chicago Blackhawks announced today that forward Nick Lardis has been reassigned to the club’s AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.
While Lardis has performed admirably in his first two months as an NHL player, he finds himself returning to the AHL as a result of the wider numbers game that gets played when planning an NHL roster.
Lardis, 20, has been able to maintain his spot on Chicago’s NHL roster, in part, because of how many injuries the Blackhawks were facing up front. But with veteran Teuvo Teravainen set to return to the lineup tomorrow after a six-game absence, Lardis found himself the odd one out in Chicago’s forward picture.
While one could certainly make the argument that Lardis has played better than some of the forwards who remain on the Blackhawks’ roster, the fact of the matter is he’s a rookie still navigating his first year in the pro ranks.
The Blackhawks’ interest in maximizing Lardis’ development likely outweighs their interest in making marginal improvements to the bottom half of their NHL lineup at this point. Lardis’ development is almost certainly better served playing a key role in the AHL rather than a role as a fourth-liner or even spare forward at the NHL level. A veteran such as Sam Lafferty (who has been a recent healthy scratch) or even an older prospect with more pro experience like Colton Dach are better fits for that kind of role.
Consequently, Lardis finds himself back in Rockford after a solid first stint in the NHL. The former OHL star was able to flash his signature qualities (competitiveness, fearlessness, instincts as a goal-scorer) at times during his first recall, finishing with five goals and seven points in 21 games. With Rockford mired near the bottom of the AHL league standings, Lardis will get the chance to lead a turnaround and try to help spark a push for an AHL playoff spot.
Vancouver Canucks Recall Victor Mancini, Jonathan Lekkerimaki
The Vancouver Canucks announced today that defenseman Victor Mancini and forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki have been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. In a pair of corresponding moves, the Canucks placed forward Brock Boeser and defenseman Zeev Buium on injured reserve. Both IR placements were made retroactive to Jan. 25.
In the Canucks’ loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, Boeser took a high hit from Penguins forward Bryan Rust, which appears to have left Boeser with an injury. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Rust will have a hearing tomorrow for the hit, while Boeser now figures to miss at least three games. The earliest Boeser can return is for Vancouver’s contest against the Utah Mammoth on Feb. 2. There also appears to be a chance Boeser will not return until after the league’s Olympic break, though a more detailed recovery timeline for the forward was not disclosed by the club.
Buium was struck with a puck to the face early in Vancouver’s contest against the Canucks, and after missing some time in the game, returned wearing a bubble cage for the rest of the contest. A more detailed recovery timeline for Buium was also not made available, but like Boeser, he will miss at least three games due to his injury.
While the Canucks’ season, as far as playoff contention is concerned, is all but over already, the loss of both Buium and Boeser for these few games is nonetheless unfortunate.
Buium was the centerpiece of the Quinn Hughes trade from the Canucks’ perspective, as one of the game’s top blueliner prospects. The 20-year-old former college hockey star has averaged 20:24 time on ice per game as a Canuck and has six points in 20 contests. Boeser, 28, is one of Vancouver’s core players, signed through 2031-32 at a $7.25MM AAV. While his 25 points in 50 games certainly represents a scoring decline compared to prior years, his presence in Vancouver’s forward lineup nonetheless helps give some of the team’s younger, developing players an experienced, accomplished veteran to line up next to. Because of this injury, the Canucks lose that presence for the next few games.
Replacing Boeser in the lineup is Lekkerimaki, who was the 15th overall pick at the 2022 draft and is among the club’s top prospects. The 21-year-old has scored 16 points in 16 AHL games this season, and added two points in his eight games of NHL experience in 2025-26. There’s a chance he could slot directly into Boeser’s vacated spot on the Canucks’ second line, putting him in a trio with Filip Chytil and Drew O’Connor. That would be a significant opportunity for a forward who has thus far averaged 10:53 time on ice per game this season.
Taking Buium’s spot on the Canucks roster is another young player: Mancini. The 23-year-old was acquired from the New York Rangers last season as part of the J.T. Miller trade, and has had an up-and-down stint in the Canucks organization thus far.
He’s excelled at times, both in spurts at the NHL level and more consistently at the AHL level, where he helped Abbotsford win the Calder Cup last spring. So far this season, he’s only skated in nine games at the NHL level, averaging just 13:12 time on ice per game with little usage on special teams.
This recall places Mancini in a position to push young blueliner Tom Willander, who missed Sunday’s game with an illness, for a regular spot on the right side of the Canucks defense. Filip Hronek and Tyler Myers, the two veterans on that side of the blueline, are unlikely to be going anywhere, meaning Willander, the 11th overall pick at the 2023 draft, represents the clearest candidate from whom Mancini might try to win a lineup spot.
While it’s likely Willander has a clear leg up in terms of his chances of dressing in head coach Adam Foote’s nightly lineup, this recall is still a significant opportunity for Mancini as he tries to stake his claim to a spot in the Canucks’ future plans. At this point, Mancini’s place in Vancouver’s long-term strategy is unclear.
Three days ago, The Athletic’s Harman Dayal wrote that “the lack of improvement in his NHL play is becoming a bit concerning,” adding that “the clock is ticking for Mancini to make meaningful strides and prove he’s still an important piece of the organization’s future.” While he might not receive a significant amount of NHL time on this current recall, making the most out of whatever opportunities he receives will be imperative for the pending RFA.
Photos courtesy of Chris Jones-Imagn Images